Outdoor Life

Our readers' hands-on spirit is reflected in the magazine's comprehensive gear tests and personal adventure stories. Whether shopping for a new rifle, searching for the hottest fishing holes this weekend or thirsting for exciting adventure tales, Outdoor Life is the ultimate resource.

THE LIFE

LETTERS

Hunter Education

THE END IS NIGH …AGAIN • HUNTING IN THE U.S. HAS SEEN ITS FAIR SHARE OF CLOSE CALLS

ZINKE’S WORLD VIEW • IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OUTDOOR LIFE, THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR OPENS UP ABOUT NATIONAL MONUMENTS, ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON PUBLIC LANDS, REORGANIZING AGENCIES, AND HOW TO BRING MORE HUNTERS TO THE FIELD

BAD NEWS IN THE BAYOU

SHED WISDOM • WANT TO FIND MORE shed deer antlers this winter? Take notes from these regional experts

DOG-DAY TOMS • SLEEP IN. HAVE A LATE BREAKFAST. THEN KILL YOUR GOBBLER IN THE AFTERNOON

RIDING HERD • NOW THREE YEARS OLD, THE NATIONAL DEER ALLIANCE ADVOCATES FOR AMERICA’S DEER AND DEER HUNTERS

TURKEY DECOY TEST • WE PUT HEN, jake, and tom dekes through the wringer to find the right fakes for your spring hunt.

HOW WE TEST

7 TOP MOUTH CALLS • PUT DOWN THE REMOTE AND BLOW

CASTING ESSENTIALS • Tips and gear for pouring your own rifle and handgun bullets

POOR-MAN’S SHEEP RIFLE • A TOUGH, ACCURATE 6.5 FOR ROUGH WORK

BROWNING BAR MK 3 DBM • AN ICONIC AUTOLOADER GETS A TACTICAL MAKEOVER

GAME CHANGER • A SMARTER SHOOTING BAG FOR HUNTING AND COMPETITION

HOW TO MAKE A HUNTER • hunters may s i t in trees, but they don’t grow on them. here’ s a look at the ways we’re pulling folks into the fold, and how three newcomers approach their first hunt

THE BOOMER BOMB • HUNTER NUMBERS HAVE BEEN DWINDLING FOR DECADES. NOW OUR RANKS ARE ABOUT TO PLUMMET. HERE’S WHY, AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

U.S. HUNTING LICENSE HOLDERS VS. POPULATION

THE GOSLINGS • WATERFOWL HUNTING I S SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE DECLINE, BUT DON’T TELL THAT TO THE HARD-CHARGING, FAST-SHOOTING, HONKER-CHASING KIDS OF GREENLEAF, WISCONSIN

LATE TO THE GAME • IT WAS A QUESTION YEARS IN THE MAKING: WOULD YOU TEACH ME HOW TO HUNT?

FROM THE GROUND UP • A FINGER LAKES DEER CAMP SERVES AS A SCHOOL FOR ROOKIES, AND HIGHER EDUCATION FOR HUNTERS WHO WANT TO KEEP LEARNING

A NEW BREED • YOUNGER GENERATIONS MIGHT HUNT DIFFERENTLY, BUT THE CHASE REMAINS TRUE TO TRADITION

GETTING STARTED • FROM MANHATTAN TO RURAL TEXAS, A FIRST-TIMER EXPERIENCES THE HARD WORK, TIME COMMITMENT, AND REWARD OF HUNTING

HUNTING CLASS IS NOW IN SESSION • CAN A NOVICE LEARN TO HUNT, SHOOT, BUTCHER, AND PREPARE WILD GAME IN A SINGLE LONG WEEKEND?

THE SCOURGE • THE TURKEY WOODS IN SPRING CAN BE A DREAD-INDUCING HIVE OF DISEASE-CARRYING TICKS. HERE’S HOW TO WIN THE BATTLE WITH THE WORST OF THE CREEPY CRAWLERS

top 5 symptoms • Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, ticks will find a way to your skin. Seek treatment if you have any of these common indicators.

top 8 prevention tips • The CDC offers some basic advice for avoiding ticks: “Walk in the center of trails” and “Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass.” Apparently, no one at the CDC has experienced the thrill of a strutting gobbler in the spring woods. Here are some vital prevention tips that are actually useful for turkey hunters.

TOP DOGS • THE DUO THAT ’S WON MORE COYOTECALLING CHAMPIONSHIPS THAN ANY OTHER IN HISTORY—AL MORRIS AND GARV I N YOUNG—ARE AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME, DESPITE SQUABBLING LIKE AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE

FLORIDA FREAK SHOW • FOR ANGLERS north of the Mason-Dixon Line, southern Florida is the epicenter of dead-of-winter sportfishing. While largemouth bass, migrating sailfish, backcountry reds, snook,...